


Beyond time and space, life and death

by Nexys



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Comfort/Angst, F/M, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Force Bond (Star Wars), Force Dyad (Star Wars), Kylo Ren Redemption, Protective Ben Solo, Protective Kylo Ren, Redeemed Ben Solo, Rey Needs A Hug, Rey Skywalker, Soft Ben Solo, Soulmates, What-If
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-18
Updated: 2020-04-18
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:54:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23723413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nexys/pseuds/Nexys
Summary: After the defeat of the Emperor, the Sith and the First Order (or Final Order, if you like) Rey took charge of the name of an important dynasty, and of an immortal faith. Being strong is what she does best, but heroes also have moments of weakness when nobody sees them. For her, the greatest pain goes beyond her denied origins, and the death of her parents. The one she misses the most is Ben. Only the stars know how much she wants him with her.
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey & Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 3
Kudos: 18





	Beyond time and space, life and death

_"Do you feel cold and lost in desperation?_   
_You build up hope but failure's all you've known.  
Remember all the sadness and frustration, _   
_And let it go,_ _let it go_ _"_

(Iridescent, Linkin Park)

Rey had always hated dark and stormy nights. Whether it was in the desert or in a dense forest, it didn't matter. She could not label between the two possibilities the worst, if a storm of hot sand or a freezing and windy downpour of water between the branches; when in doubt, it was convenient for her to hate them both. When the night came, all the thoughts she had tried to keep away during the day - challenging her belief in the Force - peeked through her mind in the form of nightmares. That was the moment when the dark call of her noble blood made itself heard, and she was not forced to repress it with all her might. The Dark Side of the Force would have been a constant presence in her life, she had made a reason by now, but dealing with it was a whole other matter. She had looked into the abyss defeating her fears, and gained the weight of the Skywalker descent, but when she was alone, disconnected from the world, she felt human, a simple scavenger, even if she hadn't been for a long time.  
The only consolation was to have saved Ben from the darkness, freeing him from Kylo Ren's identity once and for all. She had saved his soul, and in return he had given her his life. Curled up on herself in a fetal position, she found shelter in a small cave dug on a rocky plateau. On that planet whose name she did not remember, full of luxuriant vegetation, a violent storm had broken out, and between thunder and lightning she had understood that most likely she would spend a sleepless night. As if her discomfort had not been enough, she was left with regret for not having saved Ben in order to keep him with her. After all, she had took his hand too late. The memory of his last moments had remained etched in her mind as branded on fire. Lost in the oblivion between light and darkness, held firm in perfect stasis by the Force, she had perceived Ben's vital energy to wrap her and bring her back to the light. She had felt it clearly, strong and warm, bright as she had longed for. Thanks to his life, Rey had regained consciousness escaping the arms of death, only to be able to call him once again by name, give him the sweetness of a kiss and see those lips open in a bright smile. All this before seeing it vanish in her arms like an evanescent dream, purified from evil, and now worthy of lying among the souls of the Jedi, fulfilling his destiny to the end. Rey knew that that had been the only possible choice. She had seen it inside him, had read it as if it had been an open book: his place in the world had been lost, and the only way to fulfill his moral duty had been to save the life of the last Jedi . Whether it was atonement or redemption, it hadn't mattered. Rey had survived, and he had died with a heart full of serenity for having honored his lineage and his parents. He had died like a true Jedi, the son of Leia and Han, killing Kylo Ren once and for all and thus severing his connection with the Dark Side of the Force.  
Honor and glory, however, did not matter to Rey in those dark moments. In that precise moment of storm, she abandoned herself to a desperate cry, because she missed him as much as she would have felt if she had been deprived of oxygen. Selfishly, she wanted him to be with her. But her will was not enough. It wasn't even for a Jedi. She wished she knew more about the boy - the man - who had hidden behind Kylo Ren's grim mask. She would have liked to hear his story in words, or read it in his eyes during a sunny afternoon sitting together on the rocks to observe the ocean on some planet on either side of the first system that had come within range. She would have liked to kiss him again to snatch another smile full of light like the first and last that he had addressed, forever dissolving the bond with the Dark Side. She would hold his hand and together they would bring peace and serenity in the most hidden meanderings of the Universe.  
She would have, if only he hadn't died for her.

" _Don't cry_.", whispered a voice in the dark, to which Rey immediately woke up and sat on the rock, clutching her lightsaber between the fingers of her right hand. She looked around.  
"Who's there? Show yourself!" She shouted, wiping her tears with her free hand, frightened by that presence. She was sure she was alone. Who could have followed her? As soon as she lit the sword, the yellow glow of her laser blade illuminated a face.  
" _Silly_." Continued the voice, before an evanescent hand stretched until it held the glow of the blade with its fingers. Rey trembled, the sword slid away from her fingers and fell to the ground with a heavy metallic thud, going out.  
 _That voice. Those dark eyes. That hand._  
The figure of Ben Solo's spirit materialized before her, shining with its own light, soft and suffused. The young Jedi covered her mouth with trembling hands, hot tears streaming down her face scratched from the ground. Even if she wanted to speak, the sobs would have stopped her, so he was the one who commented on that singular moment.  
" _The Dyad in the Force. Have you already forgotten it?_ " He asked gently, holding out his hand to her face, managing to touch it. Rey felt the warmth, the authenticity, the concreteness that their bond meant. Ben was Force, and flowed with her, for her, in her.  
She shook her head, smiling with trembling lips, between tears. She hadn't forgotten it, but she had let go of all hope. "No...", she murmured, before pressing his hand on her face and finally throwing herself into his arms, despite the fear of not being picked up and seeing him vanish again.  
Still, their embrace was real and consistent. Ben held her tight against him, allowing her to melt into a finally liberating cry, stroking her hair tied in her characteristic warrior hairstyle.  
" _I will never leave you alone, Rey._ ", He murmured gently, before she could lift her face and look him in the eyes. She clearly saw that he wasn't lying, and that that wasn't a hallucination at all. Ben's spirit was there beside her as were all the Jedi who had blessed her rise against the Emperor.  
" _Get up!_ ", They had said. And she had risen like a sun, also thanks to the energy of Kylo Ren, Ben Solo, his hero. Her half in the Force.  
"But you are...", she began, before a finger closed her lips gently.  
" _I'm not. I'm here. You can hear me_.", The boy murmured, holding her tight.  
" _You can see me._ ", And brought his forehead close to hers. " _You can touch me._ ", And once he moved his finger, he gave her a kiss as proof of his undeniable presence.  
For Rey it was like being born again. Ben was still with her, and they were both united by a bond that went beyond time, space, life and death. The Dyad in the Force, for the rest of their existence.  
Being able to kiss him, caress, squeeze, was all she wanted. His earthly death had not been his end, but only a compelling new beginning. She looked him in the eyes, unable to look away. Ben accompanied her to lie down again, offering himself as support and shelter, welcoming her into his arms. He untied her hair and ran his fingers slowly, stroking her face and head. Rey looked up, breathing a faint sigh.  
"Forever?" Shebasked in a low voice. The man's lips parted in an elegant smile, " _Forever_.", He promised, before sealing that promise with a kiss, and letting the last Jedi, his Rey, slip into a deep sleep, free from nightmares , protected by his arms.


End file.
